1990
On a moonlit evening in Key West, Florida, the “Journal of Johnny Cipp” is found on a secluded beach. It has been more than twenty-three years since the author disappeared from his home 1500 miles away. His opening journal entry is cryptic in its message.
“Unlike the lyrics to the rock classic, ‘The Summer of ‘69,’ the Jimmy in my band didn’t quit, and my Joey didn’t get married. In my life, they died. In fact, except for me, they all died . . . and I have never before told our story.” Thus begins the saga of the lone survivor of a series of tragic events decades earlier.
1967
Southeast Queens, New York is in turmoil. Amid the escalating chaos, five young men form a band in hopes of escaping the mounting violence, poverty, and drugs surrounding them. Johnny Cipp, the driving force behind the group, wants to lead them to fame and fortune. Instead, he takes them down a path where one misstep can result in destruction.
It is said that if you remember the 1960's you were not really there. However, this was not a time of peace and love for everyone. In Johnny Cipp's neighborhood, it is a time of violent upheaval - and he remembers every moment of it. His journal weaves an intricate tale of five young men who attempt to escape their chaotic situation with their only available weapons—their love and loyalty for each other— and their music. As the band bonds both musically and personally, they come to realize what success means to each of them. To one, it will be a release from the abusive beatings of his father. For another, it will be a chance to be with the girl of his dreams. A third member's goal is a secret. For all of them, their music holds the promise of a brighter future. With each motivated to escape their present situation, they push toward establishing themselves as a professional band.
In June of 1967, they got their big break, and it was the beginning of the end.
Band in the Wind takes place during the mounting racial tensions of the decade, in a time when New York City's identity is under transformation. At its heart, this is a story about the turbulence of adolescence unfolding during an equally turbulent period in America’s history.
Steeped in 1960s rock and roll atmosphere, and outfitted with a killer soundtrack, this novel will be perfect for fans of A Bronx Tale, Not Fade Away, Stand by Me ("The Body"), The Commitments, and Eddie and the Cruisers.
William John Rostron's books have been read on four continents and all fifty states. His Band in the Wind series of novels (steeped in the 1960s music and culture), has received critical acclaim from Writers Digest, the Online Book Club Review, and have all received Amazon ratings of 4.5 out of 5, or higher. He has published over four dozen short stories in anthologies, with five receiving awards from Writers Digest. All of these pieces also appear in his short story compilations, A Flamingo Under the Carousel and T-Rex Stole My Computer. Five of his stories have been produced on the New York stage (available for viewing on the author's website) He recently edited the Red Penguin anthology, KAPOW. www.WilliamJohnRostron.com
